Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost of Charles the Bold, Charles of Burgundy
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Vanished Duke is the ghost of Charles of Burgundy, who haunts a hill between Grandson and Montagny in the Swiss canton of Vaud. According to legend, an ancient oak stands on the hill where the Swiss Confederation defeated the Duke of Burgundy. Beneath the earth lies a magnificent hidden hall filled with weapons, coats of arms, cannons, golden vessels, precious stones, jewelry, and countless treasures. The duke remains imprisoned there for centuries, awaiting a courageous person who can help redeem him by completing a dangerous task before midnight without uttering a single word.
One winter evening, a poor farmer named Johannes from Montagny passes the hill while mourning the rejection of his marriage proposal. The parents of his beloved Margrit have refused to let their daughter marry him because he lacks wealth. As Christmas approaches, an armored knight suddenly appears and addresses Johannes by name. Knowing of his troubles, the knight promises him great riches if he returns alone to the hill on Christmas Eve after eleven o’clock. Johannes must carry something to Lake Neuchâtel and then remove the knight’s sword belt before midnight. If he succeeds without speaking, the treasures hidden beneath the hill will be his. The knight then vanishes, leaving Johannes to wonder whether he can fulfill the strange promise.
On Christmas Eve, Johannes returns to the hill despite the bitter cold and his growing fear. The knight appears again, strikes the ancient oak with his sword, and causes both of them to sink into the earth. Inside a magnificent, brightly lit hall, Johannes sees the treasures but is soon confronted by a large, coal-black cat with fiery eyes. The knight orders him to carry the creature to the Tophet, a rock on Lake Neuchâtel, and throw it into the water. Johannes obeys, enduring the cat’s fierce scratches without crying out. When he throws it into the lake, the water begins to ripple and boil, and he hurries back to the underground hall.
There, the knight reveals his identity as Duke Charles of Burgundy. He explains that his misfortune began after he broke his word and had several Swiss men hanged from the trees on the hill. Since then, he has been forced to wait for centuries until someone courageous enough to redeem him arrives. Johannes must now remove the duke’s sword belt without speaking. As he works, the duke mysteriously grows taller, forcing Johannes to stretch up on tiptoe. When the heavy sword slips from its scabbard and cuts him, Johannes nearly cries out but manages to remain silent. At that moment, the clocks of Grandson and Yverdon strike midnight, completing the task.
The redeemed duke thanks Johannes and allows him to take some of the treasure. Johannes gathers gold coins in his handkerchief and suddenly finds himself back beside the oak tree, with the coins still in his possession. The following day, he returns to Margrit’s parents, who change their minds when they see his newfound wealth and agree to the marriage. Johannes later donates money to the people of Montagny so that they can build a beautiful church. Through his courage, silence, and faithfulness to his promise, he wins both the treasure and the woman he loves while freeing the vanished duke from his centuries-long imprisonment.
Sources
“Der verschwundene Herzog.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/allgemein/verschwundene_herzog.html